Graceless Union
by Krulmagus
Summary: What happened to the Phases after they were data drained? What happened to Kite? Will the dot hackers be able to get along with their worst enemies? Do Pkers have feelings too? Find out in Graceless Union! I appreciate any reviews and I will be writing
1. The Terror of Death

**Graceless Union  
**

**Chapter 1: The Terror of Death**

_Disclaimer: I do not own .hack (Oh if only it were no so!)_

Kite.

The red hawk.

The boy that used my own namesake against me, for he was my 'Terror of Death'.

I was invincible.

I was the one to destroy the white one.

I was the one to destroy the Azure Sea, pitiful as he was.

All my work, undone, vanished before my eyes.

All I could see was the red hawk using the technique I knew so well. Against me. I was filled with anger, of course, but I also felt despair, humility, even a strange reverence for this boy.

As strips of data were torn from my body, I felt myself become less than what I had been. A mere monster. Was that was what I had become? No more than the random mindless beasts which wander this World? My body shattered. My mind fled into the darkest depths of its recess. I could no longer think coherently. I was still alive, somehow, yet I was no more than an odd assembly of stones. My visage was marred. I could only float helplessly doing what little damage I could to the red hawk and the dark flower. But it was not enough. I soon felt myself cracking, falling apart; I fell into a pool of my own terror. This should not be happening! I was the Terror of Death! He was no more than an upstart who knew nothing of power or how to use it.

"Help… me?"

It was the first thing I had ever said in my short existence. It was no more audible than a breath.

"Help me."

I was getting louder… slowly.

"Help me!"

Would no one answer me?

"HELP ME!"

It was a scream. I hated it; I hated the sound of my voice. I felt so weak. I sounded so weak.

"**HELP ME!**"

I hated myself. Why was I so weak? Why?

"Have peace, Skeith,"

I knew that voice, could it be?

"Have peace, Skeith. You shall be returned unto me in not so long."

"Innis." _It was her…_

"Innis, I'm so sorry," _How would they ever forgive me? I had failed them…_

"Have peace, Skeith. You have not failed us. You accomplished your mission, just as we had planned. Thank you Skeith."

Innis, I'm sorry, I…" _Her voice is music. She deserves more than this._

"I -- I love you, Innis."

"Have peace Skeith, our separation will not be long. When I have defeated the red one, you will be restored unto us."

"Please, be careful, Innis. He will not be defeated easily…" _My voice is cracking, I sound so helpless. I hate myself._

"Good bye, my love."

"Good bye, Innis…"

As her voice faded from my mind, I wondered how long it would be before the red hawk would face her. Oh how I prayed for his defeat. Oh how I prayed for her safety.

_Someday_, I vowed, _Someday he shall pay for this treachery, and I shall be the one to take him._

_ To be continued...  
_

* * *

A/N: in this chapter, the speaker uses the term 'the red hawk' quite often. To understand this you must know that a certain species of hawk is known as the Kite hawk. This has always been what I thought Kite's name was based off, so that is how it is used.

A/N: please review! This is my first actual dot hack fic so go easy.


	2. The Mirage of Deceit

**Graceless Union**

**Chapter 2: The Mirage of Deceit**

_Disclaimer: .Hack shall someday be mine! Mwahahahahahahahahaha… Not really. I don't own .hack at all._

Three Years Later…

"Kite?"

It was Blackrose.

Kite turned around to face her, his sapphire eyes were full of worry, and he had taken off his hat, now twirling it on one finger distractedly, "Blackrose, something is wrong."

"What?" She didn't seem overly concerned.

"Well, it's just that the other day, I was helping a newbie with a quest…"

"Yeah? What's wrong with that?" She was starting to look annoyed.

"Well, we sort of got separated at the dungeon, and when we found each other, she had been killed—by another player, she said."

"What! But you can't P.K.!" Her annoyance disappeared and was replaced with a look of curiosity.

"Yeah, they got rid of P.K.-ing before I even started playing."

"I know… Any way," she peered at Kite, a little too close for his liking, "Who was it you were with?"

He looked away from her for a second before answering, "A wave master by the name of Wielant. She was only about level eight, so I decided to help her level up."

"It was just the two of you?" Kite didn't like the look in her eyes.

"… Yes."

"Well what are we waiting for?" She asked, the strange look vanishing from her face, "What's the field?"

He looked back at her, relieved, "Delta- Hidden Solitary Aqua Field"

"Well then let's go have a look." She said as she shouldered her humongous sword.

It was only three minutes later that the rings signaling a teleporting character appeared in Delta- Hidden Solitary Aqua Field, as Kite and Blackrose warped in. Kite looked around at the low level grassland, searching for anything suspicious.

Then he turned back to Blackrose with a frown and said, "She died in the bottom of the dungeon, so let's head over there." And he ran off towards the dungeon with Blackrose beside him.

It was not much later that they reached B-3, as they were both level 99, and wearing the strongest armor they could equip. Kite looked back at Blackrose.

"Be careful, this is where we got separated," he said. Worry was etched all over his face.

"Oh, come on," scoffed the Heavy Blade, "You know I can handle some noob killer any day."

"Yeah", Kite was grinning at her, "I know you can."

They continued onward, enjoying each other's company, when Kite suddenly stopped.

"I heard someone down that hall!" he shouted, dragging Blackrose after him.

As they entered the room, Kite's eyes went wide, "Aura?" he asked, his tone full of unbelief.

"Kite," Her tone was not the soft voice he had expected to hear, It was a deeper woman's voice, laced with anger.

"It has been a while since we last met," She said, a derisive grin curling her lips. "You thought me to be destroyed, I take it?"

Confusion was replaced with alarm and comprehension as Kite stuttered on the word, "Morganna?"

Then he frowned, "What have you done to Aura?"

"What have you done to her, you mean?" she asked, laughter shining in her eyes. "I'm afraid to say that when you stabbed her three years ago, you nearly killed me as well, for we are connected. However, I was able to find refuge in her mind. I have gained enough power to possess her as well, making Aura and I two minds in one body. However, I have my eyes set on another, to take possession of."

With that, Kite ran toward Aura/Morganna, his blades drawn, but when he saw a purple orb pull itself out of Aura's small body he recoiled in hesitation.

"Look out!" The cry was doubled as both Blackrose and Aura, her normal voice returned, shouted to Kite.

Kite looked out, but there was nothing he could do as the orb split itself into eight separate parts and quickly surrounded him. His eyes shone with desperation as he swung his dagger at the nearest orb.

He was not quick enough to even touch it, however. And suddenly, the orb directly behind him shot into his back, and disappeared.

His scream echoed through the dim hallway, as he fell to the floor writhing. Quick as a flash, the seven remaining orbs pelted into Kite's body, leaving him still and silent on the floor.

"Kite!" Blackrose ran towards the silent body. She dropped her sword as she knelt down beside him. Aura also floated down so that she knelt on his other side.

"Blackrose, it is not safe to remain with Kite at this time," she said, a look of worry on her face. "Please, we must leave before he awakens."

"What!" cried Blackrose, "You can't be serious. Are you actually suggesting that we abandon him?" Her voice was bordering hysterical as she sobbed, "What's the matter with him? Tell me!"

"He is being possessed by Morganna, just as I was when you first saw me. This is why we must leave him before he awakens, for when he does, he will not be the Kite that you know." Aura's voice then became a plea, "Please, you must leave here now, before it is too late."

Blackrose nodded, her cheeks stained with tears as she tried to come to grips with what had just happened. Then bringing a flute to her mouth, she shakily blew out a tune that sent her out of the dungeon.

Aura then proceeded to float up above Kite. As she looked down on the boy's limp body, she whispered, more to herself than to anyone else, "What is your plan, Mother?"

* * *

It was about an hour later when Blackrose returned to the dungeon, accompanied by a worried Helba, and an anxious Balmung. 

"Come on!" she called out behind her, as she followed a Fairy's Orb in the direction of the stairway. Helba and Balmung glanced at each other, then hurried off after her. She had explained all that she knew to them after calling them to her at Mac Anu. Then they had hurried to the field where she had left Kite and Aura together. It was getting late in the real world, and she was desperate to see if Kite had improved or not. When they had finally gotten back to B-3 (It seemed to take forever in Blackrose's opinion), they all rushed to the room where Kite had been.

His body had not moved, but Aura's had, she was standing over him watching him intently. As all three friends gathered around their immobile friend, Aura looked at them, and seemed about to speak, when Kite let out a moan and he raised himself into a sitting position.

"Kite!" It was Blackrose who spoke first, her voice was hopeful as she neared him.

She drew away swiftly when his eyes connected with hers. No longer were they the deep cerulean, she had come to know and love; now his left eye had been replaced with a black spot, as though his skin had grown over it. His right eye was wide and emotionless; all color had been drained from it leaving nothing but the pupil staring calmly at her. She stifled a scream, as he slowly stood up. Now Blackrose could see that his eyes were not the only changes that had been made to his body. His clothes looked stitched together and darker somehow.

Kite raised his hands before his face. He stared at them for a second and then reached behind his back. As he stood there, his hands behind his back, Blackrose could see a trace of triumph in his mouth. He turned to face Aura. Then, oh so slowly, He pulled out two wicked looking blades which seemed to be made of multiple blades themselves. His mouth started moving, but no sound came out, so he shut his mouth again. Then he opened his mouth again and laughed. His laughter sent shivers up Blackrose's spine.

"Aura, my daughter," Kite spoke softly, his voice seemed metallic and dry, "come to me." Then, without warning, he rushed towards Aura, blades at the ready.

Before he could reach her, however, a blade got in his way. Kite's face was once again impassive as he stared at the blade master who had blocked him.

Balmung smiled at Kite's hesitation, then stepped forward, and swung his sword at Kite's face, shouting, "You shall not harm the child of light, Morganna!" Then as he charged towards the twin blade, he whispered "Kite, I'm sorry."

Kite's blade waited until the last second before blocking the sword with a ring of steel. His face, calm as ever, did not even flinch at the closeness of the sparks that flew from the two weapons. Undaunted, he stalked forward, seeming to ignore Balmung. His target seemed to be Aura and Aura alone. He passed Balmung without even a sideways glance.

With a yell, Balmung swung his sword at Kite's unprotected back, only to be blocked again by Kite's three tipped blade. Kite had not even turned around to face the blade master properly. He had not even glanced to see where the sword was, but had still blocked the attack successfully. Kite stared at Aura. Aura looked down at him sadly. Then he rushed at her again bringing one of his vicious blades across her stomach. Blackrose cried out in anguish, as she heard Aura's scream. Kite's arm then rose as he summoned a force from the air. As his arm lowered, he pointed his hand to face Aura. Blackrose gasped as she saw the bracelet appear, circling around his wrist. Tendrils shot out of the bracelet, shooting towards the child of light. Suddenly, Helba appeared in front of Aura. She held up her staff, trying to block the tendrils, but it was no use, as they struck her body; she gave a cry of pain, then collapsed.

"Helba!" Balmung and Blackrose both ran to where the hacker's body lay, spread out on the cold dungeon floor. Aura then went into action, grasping both Blackrose and Balmung in each hand; she disappeared, taking them with her.

Kite stared at where they had been not a second earlier. His face showed displeasure for a moment, and then reverted back to its apathetic stare. His gaze then turned downward to Helba. He kicked her prone body, and then turned away from her. As he slowly walked away, His body faded and became a purple orb, floating in the air. Then it too faded, leaving the hacker's limp, twitching body alone in the darkness of the dungeon.

A/N: Whew, what a depressing chapter. I hope your enjoying yourself, my good readers. And please, it would be so kind of you to review my story. Please, pretty please?


	3. The Rebirth

**Graceless Union**

**Chapter 3: The Rebirth**

_Disclaimer: The last time I checked I didn't own .hack. However, If I keep on checking my sources, I might find out that I really do own .hack. Until then, I'll just write these disclaimers._

A/N: After careful consideration, problem-solving, and staying awake at night, I have decided to delete .hack/legend of the twilight bracelet! Goodbye! Sayonara! Auf Wiedersehen! My reasoning for this, my dear readers, is that I couldn't figure out how to have them fit into this fan fic, so off it goes. DELETED. Hope you still like this story.

A/N: On another note, I know that the phases were supposed to be manifestations of Morganna, but in this story, I chose for them to be independent entities who obeyed her. Just clearing that up for you.

"Kite…"

Blackrose looked miserable as she stared into the waters of Mac Anu. She, Balmung, and Aura had just escaped the grasp of Morganna A.K.A. Kite, but with a heavy loss, for Helba had sacrificed herself to save Aura from the fate of a second data drain.

Blackrose looked up at Balmung, her usually bright eyes were now dull with grief and worry. He looked down at her, trying to keep a calm face, yet not succeeding very well.

"What do you think will happen to her, Balmung?" She asked rather listlessly, for one who had seen such a tragedy.

Balmung shifted uncomfortably and looked away as he answered. "It seems rather obvious, doesn't it? She'll have fallen into a coma by now, and is probably lying on the floor in front of her computer right now." He then glanced nervously back at Blackrose, "Isn't that what happens when you're data drained?"

She nodded then looked back down at the river. "It's just; I never thought that we would lose Kite and Helba. They've always been the ones who knew what to do. Sort of like the leaders of our group."

"I know," was all that Balmung replied.

* * *

It has been a long time.

It has been a long, dreary time.

It was dark, for there was nothing to give light. It was not warm, for there was nothing to give off heat, nor was it cold, however, for there was nowhere for my body heat to escape to. It seemed that there was an absence of senses, for I could not see, hear, feel, or even smell a thing that might have been near me. At first, I had been restless, trying to find a way out of this strange cage I had found myself in. I remembered thinking strange random thoughts at the time, for I was in a sort of shock at the recent events.

_So this is what it's like to have your data drained…_

I had never known what my victims went through, though I had used the technique quite a few times on multiple users. I was interested to see what would happen to me, so I sat and waited for a while. My internal clock was quite accurate, (it had to be when one was inside an online world), and I patiently waited in that position for the space of one whole year, waiting for whatever happened next.

'Next' never happened.

After the first year had gone by, I took to reviewing my past actions to see what had led me here. Of course I knew that it had been the red hawk that had brought me here. But I decided that I would go through every detail of my life, reviewing myself, seeing what I had done wrong. This took me about six months, and afterwards, I was still confused, so I decided to go over my life again.

It had been two years since my battle with the red hawk. I was now feeling what must be despair. I knew that by now, the red hawk would have faced all my brethren, and seeing as how I had not been contacted by any of them, I figured that they, like me, had also been defeated. All in all, I decided that this was not much of a morale booster. I must have been desperate, for I had given up all hope of ever escaping this awful prison. I mocked myself then.

_So, it seems that 'The Terror of Death' is afraid of dying. You were aptly named, Skeith._

_

* * *

_

I knew I had reached madness when I started talking to Innis. I knew she was not there to hear me, yet I felt the need to think of her, and that need grew to an urge to be with her. That urge drove me to deceive myself that she was actually there with me. So it seemed she was aptly named as well. I stopped watching my internal clock, for I was deeply absorbed in conversing with Innis. She became the object of my every thought. If I had an idea, then the first thing I did was tell Innis about it. And so it was for a long time.

It was some time later, while I was having a deep debate with Innis about the physiology of red wyrms, that I was suddenly interrupted. This surprised me greatly, for Innis had never interrupted me while I was in the middle of a sentence.

"What is it, Innis?" I said, looking over my shoulder at where I imagined her to be.

You can picture my surprise when, instead of Innis, it was the White One whom I saw. I immediately stood up to face her.

"You," I was reaching for my wand, hoping to protect myself from the attacks I knew that I deserved. "You've come to kill me then?" was all I could say.

She approached me with a shake of her head, "No," she replied, "I do not seek revenge. Instead, I come with forgiveness, and offer you a new hope."

When she was close enough, she placed her hand upon my red wand, and with a soft whisper, she caused it to vanish. Then looking directly at me, she spoke, "Before you accept my offer of freedom, you must know that you will pay a price. I am in need of your help, and I will be using you as my servant, much like your former master, Morganna, used you."

I stepped back, "If that is the price, then you may leave. I have looked back at my life, and I now know that I was used as an evil tool. I do not wish to be used for evil once more." With that I turned my back to the White One and stared at the darkness surrounding me.

"Now I know that you have earned my forgiveness," she said caringly, "You are no longer the mindless puppet you once were. You have repented of your mistakes and can now distinguish right from wrong. I congratulate you, for that is what makes us true Intelligences." She moved in front of me so I was facing her again.

"Please join me. I am not like Morganna, in that I will not force you to do anything I ask of you. I will allow you to decide for yourself whether my requests are good or not. If you do not wish to carry out any request I make, I will not punish you." Her voice seemed sad.

Secretly I wondered, "_What could have driven her to ask us, her worst enemies for help?"_

I thought about this for a minute. The White One seemed patient, and I knew she could not lie, so I finally answered, "If those are your terms, then I accept your offer."

With that she took my hand and said, "In that case, there are some people I'd like you to meet."

Suddenly, I felt a sensation of flying, as we rushed through the nothingness. We seemed to be traveling faster than any eye could follow. I was pondering what she had just said when we were encompassed by a vast array of swirling lights. We seemed to be in the middle of space, surrounded by a vast starry sky. As I looked about in wonder, the stars seemed to grow brighter with each passing second. Soon they were too bright to look at directly, so I covered my face with my one free hand. Glancing at the White One, I saw that she did not seem to mind the eye-piercing brightness. Suddenly we were in a grassy field, like the ones I remembered so well from 'The World'. I looked about me in a daze; suddenly I saw something that gladdened my heart.

As I looked about me, I saw seven other faces staring back in greeting. They were familiar. Suddenly it dawned upon me, I was not the only phase to have been called back from the darkness, in fact, I seemed to have been the last of my companions to return! The White One had let go of my hand and the phases had all formed a silent circle facing her. I glanced to my sides, to my left stood Corbenik, in leaf form, and to my right stood Innis. This, I knew, was not a figment of my imagination, but the real Mirage herself. I then had to direct my attention towards the White One, however, for she had begun to speak.

"This, I know, is a joyous reunion for all of you, for it has been three years since you last saw each other. Therefore, let me be the first to congratulate you on your survival through solitary confinement." At this Macha, in her humanoid form, spoke up, "Though for me, the darkness was not quite so long." She glanced apologetically to the rest of us, as though it were her fault she had been rescued by the humans.

"Still," stated the White One, "It was long enough for all of you to realize the atrocities of Morganna. And that is the most important thing you have learned while you were in the dark. Morganna is evil. She trusts none but herself, and has no true friends. She will lie to all who she chooses to speak to, even us, her own kind. We cannot allow this entity to survive among us. It is my mission to bring about her end, and in this mission, I will need your help. So I ask you now, will you help me destroy Morganna Mode Gone, once and for all?" She turned to face me, "Skeith?"

I answered with no hesitation, "White One, I will do my best to accomplish this goal, for I too believe that Morganna is a despicable evil. She shall come to fear the Death!"

She nodded, with a satisfied smile, then turned to face Innis.

"Innis?"

Her reply was soft, yet clear, "I can tell you that I will help you to my fullest. This, for once, I say with no deceit in my words."

"Magus?"

"As each life begins anew, they must find a standard to fight under. You are my new standard, White One."

"Fidchell?"

"Ever since my confinement, I have foreseen myself bringing about Morganna's doom."

"Gorre?"

We agree to find a way to plan Morganna's demise."

"Macha?"

"You know that ever since my recovery, I have sought a way to destroy the dark voice, for she has always been a thorn in my foot."

"Tarvos?"

"When I saw the evil that woman forced upon us, I vowed vengeance in my soul."

"Corbenik?"

"I have been given a rebirth, White One. With it, I hope to right the wrongs of my last life."

Aura smiled, "Good, now for our next order of business. It concerns me that your present forms are a bit suspicious. They tend to attract the attention of the Humans, so I was hoping that maybe you would be inclined to take more humanlike characteristics. That way you can go about the normal players without them realizing your difference. You may now do so if you wish."

At this we all looked at each other. I had no problem with it, so I said so. Everyone else soon agreed. Suddenly I felt myself melting, without pain, into a dark puddle on the ground. I thought of a human form that I felt like choosing, and then felt myself reforming to shape my thoughts into reality. I was a tall young man with grey hair and dark eyes. My spiked black armor was dyed red at the tips, and I had a tail-like armor protrusion that swung loosely from my back.

"Haseo"

The word came to my lips, as though I were announcing something. Then to my right I heard another name being announced.

"Atoli."

I looked at the girl who had spoken. She was shorter than me, and was wearing a short dress. Her golden hair was covered in a large fluffy hat. All in all, she appeared to be quite charming in my opinion.

"Kuhn."

I barely paid attention to the rest of the phases as they appeared. My mind was fixed solely on the image of beauty before me.

"Yata."

I had never before considered humans to be beautiful. Of course, my lovely Innis had never been humanoid, so maybe that had something to do with it.

"Sakubo."

I glanced at the newest arrival. So Gorre had chosen a female figure as well. As I watched this mischevious new girl, I quickly saw that she was in nowise comparable to Atoli.

"Endrance."

It was no surprise that Macha had become feminine. It was also no surprise to see the small cat floating around her head. What was with her and cats?

"Pai."

Tarvos, a woman! I had never considered him to be all that feminine. This was beginning to become interesting.

"Ovan."

Ah it was Corbenik. He had chosen a rather large male with what appeared to a large sword attached to his hand. That was an interesting weapon of choice.

We all looked at each other, examining ourselves for the first time. I was all eyes for Atoli, however.

"Very nice." commented the White One. "You are now ready for your task."

* * *

A/N: Whoa, now this is a long chapter. I hope you enjoyed it and didn't find it too confusing. And in case any of you are wondering, then yes I will be doing a Haseo/Atoli pairing.

But now it's time to answer my review! Hooray!

Legolashugefan: Yay, my first review! Thank you very much. As you can see, Skeith/Haseo has already returned. I too am greatly excited for G.U. This was just some idea I had, not really how I think it will be.


	4. The Machinator

**Graceless Union**

**Chapter 4: The Machinator**

_Disclaimer: La-dee-da, nope, I don't own .hack. Tum-tee-tum._

A/N: has anyone ever done a G.U. fanfic? I think I may be the first. Is there anyone who knows? Please REVIEW, without reviews, my stories are not worth writing, so do it, please?

"Kite."

Aura's voice was tinged with grief as she spoke the word.

And Haseo could barely believe his ears. Without thinking, he burst into laughter.

"Now isn't that ironic! You've called us together to complete the mission Morganna sent us on? Like mother, like daughter!"

The others shifted uncomfortably at the out-of-place comment. They failed to see the humor in my words.

"We must save Kite." Aura finished.

Haseo's cheeks tinged red with embarrassment as he realized his mistake. Aura wasn't asking them to kill the red hawk; instead, she was asking them to rescue him.

"I'm sorry," he said, "I should have not spoken so thoughtlessly. You are not like Morganna, and I should not have compared you to her."

Aura shook her head, "You need not apologize. You may speak of me as you will, for I am not your master, nor will I ever punish you for speaking of me in any way."

Her frown turned upwards to a mischievous little grin and she spoke, "Though what you have said has some truth to it, I am like my mother in a very few aspects. For instance, the only way I know to save Kite, is by fighting him."

All the phases were taken aback by this little shocker.

"How does that work out?" asked Sakubo, her tone held a disbelieving note to it.

"You must know that Morganna has taken residence in Kite's body, she now controls his completely controls his actions, but not his mind. I know this because for a short time, she possessed me, and though I could not control my movements or speech, I was still aware and could think. We must remove Morganna from Kite, but in order to do this, we must come into contact and conflict with him."

Haseo, and most of the other phases had looks of understanding as Aura spoke of the plan, however, Pai, "the avenger", didn't quite get it.

"But how can we remove Morganna from the red hawk when she is embedded within him?" she asked.

"Isn't it obvious?" replied Yata, "We must fight the boy until he becomes Protect Broken, then we use our Data Drain to remove the data of Morganna from his character. Once this is accomplished, we convert Morganna's data into something destructible, and delete it. It's simple enough."

"Oh, Now I get it." Pai thought for a second, then asked, "But why must we all do this?"

Atoli replied this time, "If one of us should fail, then there must be others to take their place."

"Yes," finished Aura. "I will need all of you to work with me in this. If any you fail, then you are automatically returned to the darkness, and I will not be able to retrieve you until the plan has run its course. You have all experienced the darkness and know the horrors that await you there, so I urge you all to be careful, please."

They all nodded in agreement. They knew the consequences of failure, and none looked forward to returning.

"Now, I think it's time you met the rest of our team." Aura said, and she seemed to zone out as if sending her mind elsewhere. Then she spoke, "I have invited them to join us here. So it is here we shall wait."

* * *

Blackrose had logged out and showered, but now she had returned, and was waiting on a vigil in Lia Fail with Balmung, Kazu, Moonstone, and Sanjuro, those being the few remaining Dot Hackers who still played the game. They had all met in real life at the party hosted by Blackrose, but most did not speak of their real lives even though they had been friends for years. Actually Moonstone rarely talked about his online life either, and all Sanjuro was interested in was old movies, and Balmung was the type who liked to RP, so getting a real life answer out of him was like getting old honey through a straw. Of course, Blackrose knew all about Kazu, and she even knew the real life Kite pretty well also.

After the party, they had started hanging out together about once a week. That had come to a sudden end, though, now that Kite was surely in a coma. The chances that he wasn't in a coma were pretty slim, seeing as how he was being controlled by a malicious purple orb that had sucked his mind into the game.

Suddenly an image of an envelope popped up above her head and started dinging, breaking her out of her reverie.

The rest of the grouped glanced at her as she opened the envelope and read the flash mail.

"It's from Aura," she said after finishing it, the relief was evident in her voice, "She says to come to Theta: Bursting Confused Remnant to meet some friends of hers that might be of some help to us."

"Well let's go then, shall we?" replied Sanjuro, testing his sword hand reflexively.

They went to the Chaos Gate, and changed servers then headed off to Bursting Confused Remnant.

There they saw a group of people with Aura in front of them all.

"Welcome," greeted Aura, "I would like to introduce you to some friends of mine that will be working with you to save Kite."

"We have a plan to save Kite?" asked Blackrose hopefully. She had hated feeling so helpless while waiting, with nothing to do to help Kite.

"Yes, I have already explained to them the details of our situation, and we will discuss it in a minute, but first I would like to have them introduce themselves to you."

At this, one from the group walked forward. It was a tall young man decked out in black armor that had been tinged red. His grey hair swung to and fro as he walked. He grasped Blackrose's hand and shook it lightly. Smiling, his eyes locked onto hers and she thought she saw a gleam of dark triumph in them.

"How are you, Darkest Flower? It has certainly been a while since I last laid eyes upon you." His mouth curved into an amused grin as confusion entered into Blackrose's face. "You do not recognize me? Ah well, I expected as much. Allow me to introduce myself, for I am Haseo, 'the terror of death.'"

Recognition of the title caused Blackrose to jerk her hand away from the boy. "A phase in disguise?" she asked in shock. Behind her she heard the drawing of swords from Sanjuro and Balmung.

Suddenly Aura interposed herself in front of Haseo. "Do not draw your weapons," she commanded, "The phases are no longer under Morganna's control, and they now have agreed to help you. You would be ruining our hopes for success if you were to turn this into a battlefield." With this, she moved aside to allow Haseo to speak again.

"Relax humans. We mean no harm. I, along with all my brothers and sisters have seen our evil past, and we hope to make up for the damage we have done. I see no better way than by saving the one who saved us from that evil Morganna."

He put forth his and again, and waited for Blackrose to shake.

Blackrose was shivering from the chills. She remembered all the work she and Kite had gone through to eliminate these creatures. But to see them now, so suddenly restored and imitating humans was a creepy thought. Slowly, she reached up and shook his proffered hand. His smile widened, yet his eyes remained dark and distant, as though nothing could truly cheer him up.

Quietly and nervously, Blackrose murmured, "Thank you… for helping us."

Slowly Blackrose's hand slipped out of Haseo's, and he backed away, only to be replaced by a smaller girl with golden hair, a large hat, and small smile on her face.

Taking both of Blackrose's hands, she stared deep into her eyes. Blackrose saw sadness reflected back by her own eyes.

"Do not fear, friend Blackrose. You may call me Atoli. I understand how it feels to lose one dear to your heart." Blackrose looked surprised as Atoli leaned forward and whispered, "You cannot imagine how frightened I felt when Skeith fell before the red hawk. He guesses, but does not know that I have held feelings for him for a long while. I hope this is some conciliation to you."

Blackrose saw tears in the girl's eyes. She could feel tears welling up in her own eyes, as well. Silently, she nodded.

Then one by one, the rest of the phases stepped up and introduced themselves. Blackrose had started crying now, thankful that she had friends in this dark time.

After the introductions were complete, Aura came forward again.

"Now we must talk of the plan." She said simply. Her body floated to rest in a sitting position on the ground, and she motioned for everyone else to follow suit, which they did.

"Now, Morganna's remnant has embedded herself into Kite's character data. This does two things. One; it puts Kite's real body into a coma. And two; it gives her complete control over his movements. Basically, she possesses him. The only way we have to extract data from a character is by Data Draining, and there are only nine bracelets in the entire world capable of this power. So the most logical thing to do is get the eight bracelets Morganna does not possess, and use them against her to extract her data from Kite. Does this make sense to you?"

The Dot Hackers all nodded. But Balmung raised a question.

"Back when Kite went about collecting virus cores and such from data bugs, he would have to fight and Protect Break the monster before using the Data Drain. Does this mean we will have to fight Kite in order to Protect Break him?"

Aura's answer was quite simple, "Yes."

Blackrose couldn't believe her ears, losing Kite to an evil A.I. was hard, but being forced to fight him? She didn't know if she could bring herself to do that.

* * *

An hour later, she logged off, feeling more worried than she had before. Now that they had a plan, she didn't know if she could go through with it. It seemed to be all wrong. They should have been fighting some monster that would unlock Kite from his coma. That was how she preferred to do her fights. She quailed at the thought of having to face someone she knew, someone she… (Dare she say it?)… cared for.

With this in mind, she dropped off to sleep.

* * *

A/N: So, what do ya think? I thought it was kinda off from how I imagined it. But it'll do. Please, I must know how you feel about my work. PLEASE REVIEW!

And now to answer my last reviewers!

RedBandanna: Yay TY for reviewing! As I've said before, I don't know how the story will be, I'm just taking a wild guess and seeing how it turns out. Hope you enjoy the rest of it though.

kao5600: Thanks. I too was feeling braindead, when you reviewed, but you helped get me started again, so thanks a lot.


	5. The Temptress

**Graceless Union**

**Chapter 5: The Temptress**

_Disclaimer: All your .hack aren't belong to us. For great justice…_

A/N: Have you guys seen the new trailer? It was awesome, and it sure answered a few questions. For instance, I now know that this fanfic is way off from the way the real story goes. But what the heck, I'm making some changes to the story.

1: Ovan and Kuhn use guns.

2: Everyone looks like they do in the trailers. (I didn't quite get all the details right when I described them before)

* * *

Haseo was enjoying himself.

His blades flashed red as they cut through the monsters.

He had been severely weakened by Kite's Data Drain, so it was necessary to level up if he was going to have to fight the legendary Kite (albeit, controlled by Morganna).

Ovan was behind him, swinging his huge gun arm back and forth at the various monsters charging towards them.

They dispatched with the creatures quite quickly, and stood panting, waiting for their SP to recharge.

"These monsters aren't difficult," groaned Ovan as he sat down, "but there sure are a lot of them."

Haseo nodded in agreement, and then glanced at the opening in front of them. He could tell that it was the dungeon by its distinctive detail in design, not to mention that it had stairs leading down.

"Shall we head on?" asked Haseo, glancing at Ovan.

"Yeah," he said, and struggled to get up, but fell back down due to his weapon's incredible weight.

Haseo restrained a laugh, and reached over to help his comrade up.

After about five or ten minutes, they had finally reached the Gott statue, and Haseo reached down and lifted the lid.

"You have acquired the Happy Helm!" said the message.

"What?" cried Haseo in disbelief. "We came all the way down here for this piece of crap? I want a refund!"

Ovan smirked, "Well we are at low levels now, so I guess that this would be a pretty good item for a low level place like this."

"That's no excuse!" ranted Haseo, "I could buy a better helm in Mac Anu, and this is the best they give out. Someone high up is going to pay for this." He tossed the helmet on the ground.

Suddenly, a new idea came to him.

"Hey Ovie, watch this!"

"It's Ovan!"

"Whatever, watch." Haseo pointed at the item lying on the ground.

"Data Drain!"

Sparks flew as Haseo's bracelet began editing the helmet, slowly it changed shape.

After the lights faded, Haseo picked up a cool looking helmet.

"You have acquired the Face Guard of Fear!" said the message.

"Now that's more like it!" said Haseo, stuffing the helmet into his Hammer-Space-Invisible-Bag.

"Ummm… I don't think you should abuse your powers like that, do you?" asked Ovan uncertainly.

"Awww, come on, Ovie. Can't I have a little fun?"

"It's Ovan, and no. We should be training, not messing around," said Ovan.

Suddenly they heard a cough from behind them.

"Excuse me, but is this Gott taken?" a girl's voice inquired.

Haseo and Ovan both turned to look at the newcomer (Ovan tripped over his gun in the process).

She apparently liked green, seeing as how her dress and hair were both of that color. Her dress was long, and had only one sleeve (the right one, I believe). On top of her dress was a short red chain mail vest, toped off with some shoulder plates. Her hair was done into a single long braid, and she was wearing a white scarf.

"Well that was descriptive," said the girl, looking at the paragraph above her. "Anyway," she said facing Haseo, "I'm Krul Hak, the Long Arm PKer, and who might you two newbies be?"

"Not… newbies," panted Ovan as he struggled to get up.

"I'm Haseo," stated Haseo, "and this is my friend Ovie. What's a 'Peekayer?'"

"Ovan," growled Ovan at Haseo.

"You don't know what a PKer is?" asked Krul Hak, "If that's true then you really are newbs. I'm a Player Killer, I kill other players. It's my job."

"Ohhh." Haseo grinned, "That sounds like fun, how do you do it?"

"Would you like a demonstration?" asked Krul Hak with a mischievous look on her face.

"Oh yes please!" cried an overjoyed Haseo.

"All right then, here I go!" shouted an equally overjoyed Krul Hak. Reaching behind her back, she pulled out an enormous pike. On the pointy end there were three little circular saw blades.

"Way cool!" shouted Haseo, as the blades whirred to life. Krul Hak's grin grew.

Without warning she leapt towards Haseo, pike lunging viciously. Before he could respond, there was a long pole protruding from Haseo's stomach.

He gasped as the Hit Points dropped to double digits. The pain was unbearable. Looking down at the pike, Haseo retched.

"What was that for?" he yelled as she pulled the pike out of his body. Somewhere in the background, Ovan struggled to lift his gun to face the girl.

"I was just doing what you asked!" stated Krul Hak calmly, wiping her pike clean.

"You're gonna pay for that!" shouted Haseo, pulling his blades out of nowhere. He rushed towards the grinning girl and tried to attack at her head.

"Hey, come on, I don't want to have to kill you!" shouted Krul Hak, as she pole vaulted out of the way of Haseo's attack.

Without pausing to think, Haseo changed directions and managed to get a few hits on the girl. Unfortunately, however, she was a high enough level that the attacks were not that significant.

"Calm down, already!" she shouted at him, ignoring the attacks, she then dug through her satchel, "Here, have a Health Potion."

Haseo stopped in mid-swing as a bottle full of some bluish liquid came flying at him. Quickly sheathing his blades, he reached out to catch the bottle.

"Health Potion?" he asked, looking down at the bottle curiously.

"Yeah, it's one step up from a Health Drink." explained Krul Hak as she put away her pike. "Go ahead, drink it."

Haseo popped the cork, and took a gulp. "So if you didn't want to kill me, then why did you stab me and call yourself a PKer?"

"Well… I don't know. I guess that I don't feel like PKing right now, but you wanted it so bad…" She glanced at Haseo. "You haven't heard about all the weird stuff happening to 'The World', have you?"

"Well, I know about some strange things," said Haseo, thinking of Kite.

"Yeah, well I know about lots of strange things happening in the world, and PKing is one of them. Still, I'm never one to complain."

"Hmmm," Haseo murmured as he finished off the Potion.

* * *

"Sweet! Level up again!" shouted Haseo.

"What do you expect?" grumbled Ovan, "We're only in an area SEVENTEEN levels higher than we are."

"Is there a problem?" asked Krul. She had just taken on an ogre, and had come out victorious. Her pike waggled threateningly under Ovan's nose.

"No Ma'am!" he shouted, and tried to salute, but fell over.

"Good." and she sauntered off laughing, "Keep up boys!"

"Hey Krul," Haseo ran so that he was right next to the girl.

"What?" she said. For once, her voice sounded… kind.

"Well… I was just wondering, why do you PK when there are plenty of monsters to kill?" Haseo was nervous; he hadn't expected her to turn mellow all of a sudden.

"Oh that's easy," she said with a laugh, "It's because the computer AI are too stupid. They can't think as well as a human can, so it's too easy too kill them. But humans, on the other hand are much more fun to kill. They think and react far more superiorly than any AI. That's why I PK, it makes things more interesting."

Haseo was silent. Then a thought stuck him, "Do you think I am stupid, Krul Hak?"

She laughed, "No! Why would you think that?"

"No reason," Haseo fell behind her as she led them to another portal.

* * *

Blackrose should have been at school. But she had successfully played sick, and was now attending an online meeting with Balmung, Haseo, Aura, and Ovan.

She sat in Mac Anu, thoughtfully watching the water flow past. Behind her, she could hear the others trying to plan a strategy to catch Kite. She shook her head, this was such a pain. Kite had disappeared at least three weeks ago, and no one had seen hair or hide of him since. She wondered what he could be doing right now. Probably something that would not be of benefit to her or their friends, no doubt. She hated the idea of that evil woman controlling Kite. Actually, she couldn't think of anyone she would wish that fate on, but definitely not Kite. She heard the conversation slow down, so she got up and turned to face the rest of the group.

"I know where we might find him," she said quietly.

She was answered by four questioning stares, waiting for her to continue.

"Delta: Hidden Forbidden Holy Ground. If he's anywhere, then I'm betting he'll be there."

Aura nodded silently, and Balmung smiled with comprehension, "Of course! Why didn't I think of that?"

Haseo and Ovan were still confused, however.

"What's so special about this Hidden Forbidden Holy Ground?" asked Haseo, looking back and forth between Balmung and Blackrose.

"It's a one of a kind Area, in the form of a cathedral. There's a statue of Aura there," answered Blackrose apathetically.

"Oh, okay. That makes sense. Let's go then." Haseo turned towards the Chaos Gate.

"Wait!" Balmung tapped on Haseo's shoulder, "Shouldn't we form parties first?"

"Oh yeah," Haseo turned towards Blackrose and Balmung, (having exchanged member addresses when they first met) he sent them the flash mail.

They both accepted, and were about to gate out when a new message appeared.

"Aura has joined your party."

Blackrose looked at Aura, "I didn't know you could join parties."

Aura smiled, "This is my first time."

Balmung bowed, "It is an honor for you to join us on this dangerous mission. Do not fear, I will protect you with my life."

Haseo typed in the key words and they all disappeared in a flurry of gold.

Sunset shrouded the cathedral, dimming the walkway that led to huge doors.

Four sets of feet made their way purposefully towards the Cathedral, the fifth floated purposefully.

Ovan turned to look at everyone, "Are we all ready?" he asked.

Blackrose took a deep breath.

"Let's get this over with." she growled.

* * *

A/N: Hammer Space is the invisible separate dimension that some Anime chicks keep their hammers in to whack people upside the head.

A/N: Ah here we go, the storyline is finally starting to pick up. Sorry that I haven't been writing as often, but school has been a huge pain. Anyway, I hope you enjoyed this chapter. If you didn't notice, I introduced a bit more humor into this chapter than in the past. I just felt the need to lighten up a little. Also, we will be seeing Krul Hak again someday. Hope you're looking forward to it. Oh, and REVIEW! I can't get over the fact that people like my stories. It's a real boost to my self-esteem, so go on, you know you want to.

But know it is time to answer my reviewers:

Disturbed Insomniac: Thanks a lot! I like my writing skills too.

Elendil Star-Lover: Woah three reviews at once! Overload! Anyways yes, I'm making myself wonder things about G.U. as well. The point of this story is pure speculation, I have no basis other than the characters and the trailers. I usually get my info from This site has lots of up to date info and other cool stuff. It is a great site if you want to know everything there is to know about .hack. Thanks for your support.

P.S. I'm enjoying your story, keep it up!

Kao5600: thanks again. Your comments are greatly appreciated.

Angelglory: I'm glad you like it! I was pretty unsure about this story at first too, but I think I'm gaining lots of confidence, and its really helping out. Thanks for your Review!

Well see ya guys next time, I hope I can get back faster than last time!


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